


Mirfield Murders

by ElizaElixir



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Murder Mystery, Dead People, Eugene is a coroner, Gross, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Murder, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, dead bodies, im trying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 13:29:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17426786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizaElixir/pseuds/ElizaElixir
Summary: Things like this don't happen in Mirvile. The only time anyone dies of unnatural causes are due to drug overdoses. Eugene Sledge didn't think taking a job as a small town coroner would end up becoming one long murder case. But the death of Lucia Mary Jackson changes everyone in town.





	Mirfield Murders

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> Murder and descriptions of murder  
> Dead bodies  
> Bodily harm  
> Implied rape (don't read if it will trigger)  
> All events are purely fictional and any connection to a real case is a coincidence  
> No disrespect is meant to the real veterans, all characters are based off TV show characters  
> If information is wrong keep in mind that things have to be changed to keep the story interesting
> 
>  
> 
> Hope everyone likes this!! First time writing these characters so things might seem a bit off at first! Updates will be random, sort! Hope you enjoy!  
> Not beta read

Lucia Mary Jackson’s face was plastered on everyone’s Facebook wall, the town papers, the local news, and every street lamp. The news of her disappearance spread through the town like a wildfire. While many just cared for her safety, others viewed it as the only exciting thing to happen to this town. Her peers shared whispers at lunch tables about where she could be. Rumors of her running away to the city or that she was taken by a cannibal, were the talk of the town. Though Mr. and Mrs. Jackson only worried where their daughter had gone.

“Things like this don't happen in Mirfield!” People claimed. “It’s safe here!”

Lucia Mary Jackson had left her home September sixth at 7:15 am, the time she always left to catch the bus, the last time anyone saw her was her neighbor only a minute later. 

The deep green seat on the left side of the bus, three seats away from the bus driver wasn’t filled by Lucia. Her friend, who was the next stop, sat by herself on that trip to school. Figuring Lucia ditched, after all, it was a Friday. 

Lucia wasn’t known to ditch though. She overall was seen as a good student. Not necessarily the brightest but she tried. But was a time when all previous perceptions were broken. So her friend didn’t question it. 

Though when her parents received a call that Lucia wasn’t at school they naturally freaked. The Jacksons were protective of their daughter like any parents should be. They both pressed that they had sent off Lucia to the bus and she seemed excited about school, saying something about a project. 

When calling the cops the Jacksons had only been told it hasn’t been twenty-four hours and that she probably just ditched.

That was what everyone thought that first day, she just ditched. Even when her parents swore up and down that she would never ditch. “That’s not her!” They would say. “She’s a good girl!” Begging the police to do anything.

However, no evidence showed that she was taken. So the police brushed it aside.

It had been a week and two days since Lucia Mary Jackson was last seen walking to her bus stop on that early morning day. A week and two days since her friend sat on the bus alone. A week and two days since her parents got the call she wasn’t at school.

“Turn that off,” Eugene Sledge demanded from the driver’s side in his beat-up Mercedes.

“What do you have against the Beastie Boys?” Merriel Shelton retorted back, slightly offended.

“No one likes the Beastie Boys.” Eugene reached to the radio, ready to turn the volume all the way down, but Merriel had already covered the dial with his hand.

“I like the Beastie Boys.”

“Well, you’re the only one.” Eugene brought his hand back to the wheel.

“Now you’re just plain wrong! The Beastie Boys are a household name! Everyone knows who they are!” Merriel exclaim, throwing his hands wildly in the air and shifting his position towards Eugene.

Eugene took this moment and turned down the song, leaving the low engine rumble to fill the car. “The Beastie Boys are in  _ no _ way a household name. No one even listens to them.”

“Oh fuck you,” Merriel muttered, reaching back to turn the music back up, “you’re so stuck in the past. Just can’t accept good music.” With that, he turned his back to Eugene and faced the window.

There was no use in fighting over the volume anymore. “I’m stuck in the past? You do realize how old the Beastie Boys are right?”

“Not as old as the jazz-”

The shrill sound of a phone cut Merriel off.

“Oh for fuck's sake.” Merriel slumped in his chair. Being cut off by a phone was worse than being cut off by a human. 

Eugene rolled his eyes, both at the phone and at Merriel. He reached down and picked up the phone, not really checking the caller ID. He was getting a lot of phone calls lately and figured it was important. 

“Hello, Dr. Sledge speaking,” he answered, figuring it was a work call. 

Working as the only coroner in the county seemed like it would be a busy job, however, not many people died of violent or unnatural causes in Mirfield. Other than occasional drug overdose or suicide, the job was relatively quiet. With was good considering Eugene never really finished his residency with the last coroner, considering he died only a year into it. He was an old man, definitely on his last leg when Eugene first met him, but it left Eugene in a tricky place. Eventually, he ended up stay and the county was fine with that. After all, he was the only person with the skills. 

But when the search was put out on Lucia Jackson his workload grew. The cops wanting everything analyzed even if it didn’t have anything to do with the case. Eugene first believed that it would die down as the week went on however, he was still analyzing more and more every day. With most things being a false alarm.

“We need you at the corner of  _ Devils Bottom _ and  _ School Lane,  _ **now** _.”  _

_ “ _ Uh, yes sir, I’ll be right there.” Eugene knew by the tone of the police sheriff's voice something had been found and not just a speck of blood. Something big. Something that required no time wasted. 

“Oh come on! It Sunday! Isn’t that God’s day or whatever? You’re supposed to get Sunday off and now their snatching you from me? What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Merriel protested. 

Eugene didn’t reply. He didn’t know how. He kept thinking over and over what could’ve happened. Imagining how they’d find her. He had dealt with his fair share of murder cases but nothing like this, nothing to a girl this young. When he first started working an angry wife stabbed her husband after an argument. He’d seen fights that went wrong and ended up bloody. But that was different. They weren’t searching for those people for a week, they hadn’t just disappeared while walking to the bus, and they weren’t young girls.

“Sledgehammah? Gene? Gene?”

Eugene kept driving, grip tight on the wheel.

“Eugene!” Merriel yelled.

Eugene jumped, causing the car to swerve into the next lane. He took a deep breath and fixed the car. “I think they found her.”

“What?”

Eugene sighed. “I said, I think they found her,” he spoke up. Eyes still glued to the road.

“Oh.” Merriel slouched down. Merriel wasn’t one of those obsessing over the disappearance of a girl he didn’t know, he knew how it would come to an end. He’d seen his fair share of child murders down in New Orleans. Besides seeing a girl who was probably dead’s face everywhere was creepy. People just didn’t want to admit that was the only possibility. 

“I can take you home, it’s on the way,” Eugene suggested.

“Yeah. You know if it weren’t for a dead girl I would write a very strongly worded letter to the police about this.” Merriel popped open the glove compartment and blindly searched around for his cigarettes. After bumping his hand a couple times into the walls and pulling out a deck of cards instead, he finally found the cigarette box. He took one out for himself and offered another to Eugene. Figuring he would need one in a time like this.

Eugene took a quick glance down, “Uh, no, no thank you. Just roll the window down this time. I plan on selling this car and don’t want it smelling like a chain smoker’s paradise.”

“Sur’ thing hon.” Merriel drew back the box and rolled down the window. He held the cigarette between his teeth while fumbling for his lighter. Finally finding it in his back pocket.

“Stop putting it in there,” Eugene said, motioning his hand off in Merriel’s direction, “could set you ass on fire.”

“You’re sounding more and more like mama Sledge. ‘Merriel, dear, please smoke outside’ ‘Merriel could you not do that right here’ ‘Merriel don’t let ash fall there.’” Merriel was clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Still can’t believe you told her my real name. It was funny seeing her discomfort in calling me Snafu.” And well it worked. Eugene knew he’d have to see the face of a dead girl soon but for the moment he forgot.

“If you want her to like you then you’re gonna have to deal with that stuff.”

“Yeah well, I don’t care what the Dr. and Mrs. Sledge think of me,” Merriel scoffed, taking a drag off his cigarette.

“Well, I  **do** .” 

“Gotta impress your parents, show them I’m not corrupting you, huh?” Merriel laughed. He liked to tease Eugene like this. At the beginning of their relationship, it was a sore spot but after being together for seven years, anything was fair game. 

The drive home was uneventful for the most part. Merriel kept distracting Eugene from what he was about to face and Eugene did give in and took one puff of Merriel’s Cigarette right before dropping him off. 

“Gene,” Merriel also whispered as he was about to get out of the car, “it’ll be okay. You’ll help catch that bastard and then you can take thousands of days off.” Merriel gave a small parting kiss and shut the door before Eugene could do anything but nod. 

After one final wave goodbye as Merriel entered the house, Eugene was off. Backing out of the driveway and heading towards _ Devils Bottom _ .  _ Of course _ , Eugene thought,  _ of course, they dump the body on that road.  _

One part of Eugene hoped that maybe it wasn’t a body, maybe it was just another overreaction over some shoe. But the rest of him knew that wasn’t likely. If it was just a shoe he would’ve been told so. It wouldn't be so cryptic. 

If Eugene had to rank the worst parts of his life he’d put pulling up to the gathering of cop cars around the corner of Devils Bottom and School lane right above busting his jaw after being pushed from his bike by his brother. If it was just a shoe there wouldn’t be as many cars. If it was a shoe he’d be greeted by a low ranking officer, not the head detective and the sheriff, when stepping out of his car. He wouldn’t have to get his full forensics kit and put on his jumpsuit complete with a mask, just a pair of gloves and an evidence bag. 

He’d seen gruesome murders and blood lined rooms but nothing could prepare him for the sight in front of him. 

Blonde, shoulder length hair, knotting and all over the place, framed her face. Blood stained its tips. Tattered clothes that barely covered her. Clearly, ripped apart. She was pale. Eugene had seen the photos of her living and while she was a fairly pale girl, this was a new pale, green pale. Bodily fluids leaked out of her nose and mouth. Her once small frame had grown, not doubling but still easily visible. He’d seen this level of decomposition before, she looked to be in the early levels of bloating. 

“Eugene what you got?” Edward Jones, sheriff Haldane's deputy, questioned flipping through a notebook. 

Eugene laughed at the notebook before realizing it really wasn’t the right time or place to laugh, “Sorry sir, you’re notebook just reminded me and we ain’t really dealt with something like this before.”

“I guess you’re right. Murder of teenage girls ain’t really want this town’s known for.” Edward’s voice monotoned. 

“Sorry.”

“Now, what you got?” He pointed at the body. 

“Well, I’ve just started. It’s gonna take me a bit to examine this, I am a one-man team after all.”

“Yeah yeah, you needed helpers, whatever. Just tell me what you got now.”

“I’d say probably she’s been dead for three days.” Eugene looked back at the body, most insects gathering around her seemed knew, most likely just now taking claim. “But she hasn’t been here for long, not enough insect activity. And all her body parts seem to be here, meaning scavengers haven’t gotten to her yet. So probably dumped early today, probably just a couple of hours ago.”

“Shit, that damn bastard.” Edward looked around for a second, before calling some young officer over, “Go tell one of the detectives that he needs to go around and ask people around the area if they saw anything from-” he glanced at Eugene.

“Uhh, five to eleven am.” He hated coming up with times on the spot. He couldn’t tell you when exactly a body was dumped, but the officers didn’t seem to understand that. 

The young officer ran off with a nod. 

Edward looked down at Eugene, “You gonna continue or am I gonna have to get someone else?”

Eugene nodded. “Definite signs of abuse,” he pointed down at the face and at the yellow, green, and purple brushes that littered it, “though not all inflicted at once. Some are older than others.”

Edward jotted down in his notebook, giving a hand motion to continue on.

“Cause of death as of now, strangulation.” Eugene looked down at the vibrate brushes that covered her neck. He could imagine hands wrapped around her neck and her struggle against it. How she must of so desperately wanted to live. “The bruising around the neck signifies that.” He had learned on his first day to always explain things out loud since most officers were too busy writing reports to look themselves. 

“What about the stabbing?” Edward pointed to the abdomen, riddled with cuts and slashes.

“Some seemed to have begun to heal, most of them aren’t deep enough. Though I can’t tell just from looking.” Eugene took a pause, just to take in everything. “Why would they strangle her if they already killed her?”

“I don’t know. I’ve read about these kinds of killers, they enjoy these gruesome acts. Just like we enjoy porn.”

“I’d rather not be thinking about porn at this time.” Eugene glared up at the deputy. 

“I’m just trying to find reasoning. Just like you’re trying to find out how she died,” Edward shrugged. “Fine, continue.”

“Some of these wounds are fresh like he continued to stab her even after death.” Eugene had plenty of stab wound knowledge after his first murder case involving an angry wife. 

“You think this dude might’ve hated her?”

“I don’t know it’s not my job to ‘find reasoning’” Eugene mocked. It was odd bantering back and forth at a crime scene like this. With such a gruesome act only inches in front of them. However, it brought a sense of relief. 

“Anything else you can get?”

“Nothing other than probable foul play and most likely,” Eugene froze, he knew all along this girl had been put through awful experiences, he knew what this murderer must have done to her, but saying it out loud would just cause him to truly think about it, to truly picture what happened to her, “well, most likely, rape.”

“Figured. Seems to match with everything you’ve told me. Fucking sick bastard.” Edward kicked the ground in front of him. “I’ll send over a couple of people to help you bag up the body and get it loaded into the truck.” He pointed at the white, almost hearse shaped vehicle. “You bring that asshole along with you? I know you’re normally off Sundays.”

Eugene nodded and stood up. It took him a minute to understand who he meant by “asshole” but realizing he meant Merriel he shook his head, “Nah, figured bringing him to a crime scene would do more harm than good. He’s at home. But he was really angry to learn I was being called in.”

They had moved to Mirfield because it was away from home, further east but still in the south. People here were more accepting of Eugene and Merriel, even if many weren’t the biggest fans of a relationship like theirs. They were tolerated, unlike back home in Alabama. People still were hesitant talking about Eugene and Merriel as a couple, many just acted as if they were just very close friends, which was all fine. They tried to keep their relationship just between them, and things ran smoothly. Now that doesn’t mean they didn’t get called the occasional slurs, mainly by high school students and the heavy bible thumpers, but they didn’t let it bother them. For the most part, they were happy and that’s all that was needed.

“If he didn’t do such suspicious things we wouldn’t be so untrusting of him, he just gives off weird vibes.” Edward shook his shoulders like he got the chills.

“Yeah, he gets that a lot.” Eugene laughed. “Well, I better start getting this in the truck. See you later Edward.”

“I’ll get some men to help you. I’ll come down with Haldane later. Might be a long day. Won’t try to keep you too long though.” Edward patted Eugene’s shoulder and called over some rookies to help Eugene.

After giving one of the rookies a spare suit so he can help carry the body, the rest of the transport was fairly easy. Placing the body in a bag, lifting the body onto a carrier, then finally hoisting it onto the truck. He had unneeded helped collect samples from the dirt and even insects since through all his chatting with Edward he had forgotten. 

Removing the gloves and body suit was always Eugene’s favorite part of clean up. Even if the weather in September wasn’t boiling, it still got stuffy in the suit. He threw it in the bodily wastebasket he kept in his car, knowing he’d have to clean it soon, but really just wanting to ignore it.

Clean up finally ended and Eugene could breathe. Yet, everything felt so off. The sun was shining, officers were laughing, hell even he was laughing in front of the body, and everything seemed to be the opposite of how it should be. Was this how everyone in the police force just dealt with murder this gruesome? Had they all become so immune to the trauma of it all? Maybe it was all just a way to keep themselves from imagining the acts committed against this girl.

Eugene sighed and hopped into his car. He would have to call Merriel, say he’s gonna be stuck at work for a while.

He picked up his phone and quickly tapped his contacts, finding Merriel right at the top, in the favorites. Merriel had done that a month into dating. Saying he was the only person who needed to be in there. Eugene found it charming, silly, but charming.

“Hey hon, how was it? Find a body? Don’t tell me it was for nothing? A Sunday full of fun shut down by some-”

Eugene didn’t process anything Merriel had said, instead he opted for just stating right out, “Hey, Mer, I’m gonna be out late.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed! Leave comments or whatever! Hit me up on http://junotter.tumblr.com I mostly post art but we can still chat! Like I said first time writing for these characters so things might be wonky!


End file.
